Knitting-machine



No. 62I,68I. Patented Mar. 2|; I899.

" w. n. JOHNS. ,I

KNITTING MACHINE. (Applicafiion filed Jilly 30, 1898.) No Nodal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I IIIIIII Patented Mar. 21,1899.

No. 62l,,68l.

w. n. JOHNS. KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 80, 189B.)

(No Model.)

III

M II ll UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

WILL R. JOHNS, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

KNITTING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,681, dated March 21, 1899. Application filed July 30, 1898. Serial No. 687,354. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, VVILL R. JOHNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knittin g-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce an automatic yarn-changer for circu1ar-knitting machines in which the yarn-changer rotates with the cam-ring.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a circular-knitting machine to which I have applied my improvements. Fig. 2isafront elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the yarn check and guide. Fig. 4 is a fragmental view of the means for moving the yarn-changer. Fig. 5

is an isometrical representation of the upper end of one of the forks forimparting movement to the yarn-changer. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the knitting-machine, the yarn-changer being shown in vertical section. tion of the latch-guard, showing the inner face View of the yarn-changer and the relative location of the needles. Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 are inner face representations of the yarn-changer in its various positions. Fig. 12 is an 'isometrical representation of the lower end of the tongue. Fig. 13 is a vertical section of the shield, showing the relative positions of the tongue and loop.

The knitting-machine shown in the drawings in the main is of an old construction, and it consists of'the bed 1, standards 2, cam-ring 3, needle-cylinder 4, and pattern-wheel 5.

The means for rotating the cam-ring and for imparting an intermittent rotary movement to the pattern-wheel are not shown, as it is evident that such movements may be imparted in various Ways and form no part of my invention.

A support 6 extends from the bed of the machine and to its upper face is secured a standard 7, having a horizontal bar 8. Bobbin 9 is supported by the support 6. One end of the horizontal bar Sis provided with a vertical opening 10. A yarn guide composed of the shank portion 11 and headed end 12 is located in the vertical opening and sup- Fig. 7 is a vertical secported by its head in a manner free to rotate. This yarn-guide has a'vertical central opening 13, its lower end coming out the side of theshank. Ahorizontalopeningl4is formed through the shank of the guide.

To the cam-ring 3 is secured a bracket 15, and to this bracket is pivoted a support 16, having an overhanging arm 17, which rests upon the upper face of the needle-cylinder. A bobbin 18 is supported by the overhanging arm and a rod 19 is secured to the arm, rising vertically, having its upper end 20 turned horizontally and its free end located inthe horizontal opening 14 in the yarn-guide. This yarn-guide is located centrally over the needle-cylinder. To the horizontal arm 20 is secured a thread-check, consisting of the side plates 21,,end 22, having an opening 23, and a pivoted latch having its end 24 provided with an opening 25 and its other end 26 adapted to come in contact with the top-surface of the check.

From the rod 19 extends an arm 27, its free end supporting a wire 28 in a pivotal manner, its free end being in eye form. An arm 29 extends from the wire, and to its free end is connected a spring 30, the other end of the spring being connected to the rod. The rod 19 supports two series of eyes 31 and 32.

The yarn 33, supported upon bobbin 9, passes from the bobbin through an eye in the bar 8, through the eye 34, down through the yarn-guide, and through the series of eyes 31., The yarn 35, supported upon the bobbin 18, passes from the bobbin through the yarn: check, through the eye in the end of the wire '28, and down through the series of eyes 32.

The support 16 has a central opening,within which is located a tube 36, supporting a concave disk 37 at its inner end, and to its outer end is secured a spider having four arms 38. The inner end of this spider has a ring 39, against which a plunger 40 presses by the action of the spring 41, located in the recess 42, formed in the support. The disk is provided with two openings 43 and 44, located diametrically opposite each other and near the circumference'of the disk. A tongue 45, having a V-shaped projection 46,is secured to a shank 47, whichis located within the tube 36 and held in place byaspring-washer48, connected to the shank by the screw 49. A latch-guard 50 is connected to the support 16 by the arms 51, and from the free ends of these arms depend "studs 52, which extend within the needle-cylinder, serving to guide the guard. At the side of the ring nearest the yarn-changer is formed a shield 53 of semicircular form and provided with a vertical opening54, being widest at about the center of the shield and tapering toward its ends, the lower end formed with an enlargement 55. The tongue 45 is located within the lower section of the opening, so that the V-shaped projection 46 will pass outside of the shield, the sides of the opening limiting the movement of the tongue. A wire loop 56 is secured to the outside of the shield near the lower section of the opening and extends from the shield suliiciently to permit the V-shaped projection to pass between it and the wall of the shield. A spring 57, secured to the bracket 15, bears against the support 16, holding it in proper working position, and which can be turned to one side, permitting the support to be turned upon its pivotal connection with the bracket for the purpose of gaining access to the needles.

To the arm 6 are pivoted two rods 58 and 59, extending parallel with each other: Their lower ends are turned toward the patternwheel. Their upper ends are turned toward the center of the needle-cylinders, and each end has two prongs, the rod 58 having the prongs 60 and the rod 59 having the prongs 61. The horizontal portion of the rods pass through the arm 7, and the prongs pass through the bracket 62, which acts asa guide for the prongs. To the face of the patternwheel are secured two cam projections 63 and 64. The former will engage the inturned end of the rod 58 and the latter will engage the inturned end of the rod 59, which will force the lower ends of the rods outward and move the prongs inward in position to be engaged by the arms of the spider.

In changing from one yarn to another the yarn to be used must be moved into engagement with the needles before the other yarn is thrown out of use. This isaccomplished by the employment of the disk 37, having the holes 43 and 44. This disk, being supported by the oam-rin g, will be moved bodily around the needles, and when the pattern-wheel has revolved to bring the cam 63 against the rod 58 the prongs 60, supported by the rod, will be moved into the path of the arms of the spider, and by the bodily movement of the spider the arms of the spider will come in contact with the prongs, which will revolve the spider a little more than one-half a revolution to the right, and when the rod 59 is moved by the cam 64 the prongs 61 will engage the arms of the spider and revolve the spider in the reverse direction and return it to its original position. The spideris held in posi tion by the action of the spring 41 against the ring 39. In moving the spider the disk connected therewith is also moved, which will bring the openings 43 and 44 alternately to the top and bottom of the vertical opening 54 in the shield, and by the frictional connection between the tongue and spider the tongue will be moved back and forth in the lower section of the vertical opening in the shield. If the yarn 35 was in position for knitting .and a change to the yarn 33 was desired, the

disk is revolved so as to bring the openings 43 and 44 into the positions shown at Fig. 8. The yarn 35 will pass through the opening 43 and the yarn 33 through the opening 44. The yarn 35 will be behind the V-shaped projection 46 of the tongue and come out through the enlarged opening 55 under the lower end of the V-shaped projection and will lie alongside the'yarn 33. Both yarns are now in position to be received by the needles, and the strain upon the yarns will move the disk and tongue into the position shown at Fig. 9, which will release the yarn 35 from engagement with the V-shaped projection and permit it to hang inside of the needles out of their reach, while the yarn 33 is held by the tongue in position to be received by the needles. After sufficient web has been knitted with the yarn 33 and a change to the yarn 35.

is desired the cam 64 will throw the projections 61 into the path of the arms of the spider, which will revolve the disk into the position shown at Fig. 10, which will carry the yarn 35 to the bottom and the yarn 33 to the top; but the yarn 33 will be held close to the yarn 35 by the tongue until the yarn 35 has been received by the needles. The tension of the yarns will move the disk into the position shown at Fig. 11, which will liberate the yarn 33, allowing it to be held inside of the needles out of their reach while the yarn 35 is being knitted.

The loop 56 is intended to prevent the yarn from getting between the V-shaped projection and the shield.

By the employment of the yarn-guide connected to the rod 20 the guide will be rotated as the cam-ring rotates, which will prevent the yarns being crossed, and as the disk is oscillated back and forth the yarns are never crossed.

The ring 50 serves as a guard to the latches of the needles.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder, needles located therein, a movable cam-ring, a shaft extendingradially to the needle-cylinder and sup ported by the canning, having its outer end higher than its inner end, a concave disk having two eyes and means for oscillating the shaft.

2. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination'of a needle-cylinder, needleslocated therein, a movable cam-ring, a shaft extending radially to the needle-cylinder having its outer end higher than its inner end, a con cave disk secured to the inner end of the shaft having two eyes, a vertically-slotted shield,

the shield and shaft supported by and movable with the cam-ring and means for oscillating the shaft.

3. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder, needles located therein,a movable cam-ring, a shaft supported by the cam-ring, a concave disk supported by the shaft having two eyes, the lower portion of the disk located outside of the needles and the upper portion of the disk overlying the needles.

4. In a circular-knitting machine, a yarnchanger carrying two yarns, and means for moving the changer in order that one yarn may be carried outside of the needles as the other yarn is carried inside of the needles, a ring forming a latch-guard, a shield supported by the ring having a vertical opening, its lower end formed with an enlargement, a tongue formed with a side projection and located in the opening, and a loop extending from the outside of the shield to receive the projection.

5.. In a circular-knitting machine, a yarnchanger carrying two yarns, and means for moving the changer in order that one yarn may be carried outside of the needles as the other yarn is carried inside of the needles, a ring formingalatch-guard, a shield supported by the ring having a vertical opening tapering toward each end, the lower end formed with an enlargement, a tongue formed with a side projection located in the opening, and a loop extending from the outside of the'shield to receive the projection.

6. In a circular-knittin g machine, the combination of a rotatable cam ring, a yarnchanger supported by the ring, a stationary arm, a yarn-guide supported by the arm and located centrally over the needle-cylinder, a

rod movable with the cam-ring having a cona shield movable with the cam-ring having a yarn-guide vertical opening and a tonguepivoted con centrically with the shaft and located in the Vertical opening and movable therein.

8. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination of a rotatable cam ring, a yarnchanger supported by the ring, a stationary arm, a yarn-guide supported by the arm and located eccentrically over the needle-cylinder, a rod movable with the cam-ring having a detachable connection with the yarn-guide whereby a rotating movement is imparted to the yarn-guide by the rotation of the camring, the rod having a hinged connection with the cam-ring.

WILL R. JOHNS.

Witnesses: A. O. BEHEL, E. BEHEL. 

